Endotracheal inspection is required for visualizing the vocal cords and the opening to the trachea performed by physicians for many purposes. Endotracheal intubation wherein an airway tube is inserted into the trachea), is carried out at each general anaesthesia procedure and is a first and most crucial stage in resuscitation due to respiratory arrest. The intubation procedure must be performed as quickly and smoothly as possible and without injuring the patient.
Existing laryngoscopes require highly trained personnel for performing a correct intubation procedure and individual anatomic and physiologic parameters of each patient must be considered, e.g. tongue size, length of neck, variations of the lower jaw and teeth, etc., and even more so, special conditions such as spasm of neck and face muscles, head or neck injuries, etc.
The known laryngoscopes aye of standard sizes and shape and do not provide any adjusting to anatomic variants. In many cases, the blade of the laryngoscope losses grab of the tongue and slips out of position due to the oral mucosas, loosing fatal time and possibly injuring the patient.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel device for carrying out tracheal inspection and intubation procedures with essentially reducing the required level of skill for performing such procedures and reducing the probability of injury to patients.